Computer game linked to controlling unhealthy snacking

A new study has revealed that playing an online computer game could help to keep some people's unhealthy snacking habits at bay.

Researchers at the University of Exeter set out to investigate the relationship between brain training and food resistance.

For the study, psychologists at the University of Exeter and Cardiff University devised an online game that used brain training techniques to change impulsive behaviours, such as reaching for unhealthy snacks.

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They recruited 41 adults, the majority of whom were overweight and admitted to eating high-calorie snacks, such as biscuits, chocolate, cakes and crisps, at least three times a week.

Each participant played the ten-minute game four times in one week. The game worked to train their brain to cut out calories by telling them to avoid clicking on certain images, like chocolate and biscuits, whenever they appeared on the screen.

The results were compared against another group of 41 adults who carried out the same training, but with images that were not of food.

It was found that the adults in the original study lost an average of 0.7kg and ate around 220 fewer calories each day during the week of training.

They were asked to keep food diaries for the next six months following the study, which revealed that their new eating habits were maintained.

Natalia Lawrence, lead researcher of the study, said: 'This research is still in its infancy and the effects are modest. Larger, registered trials with longer-term measures need to be conducted.

'However, our findings suggest that this cognitive training approach is worth pursuing: it is free, easy to do and 88 per cent of our participants said they would be happy to keep doing it.'

Ms Lawrence added that this type of brain training could be used as part of weight loss programmes or to improve eating behaviours.

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